Unfortunately, the happy situation was short-lived. Mauresmo's father died of cancer in early 2003 at the same time that she and Arribe were breaking up. Mauresmo said that her father's death "made her grow up."

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Mauresmo showed renewed confidence on the court in 2004. She won a career-high five tournaments and reached the finals of three more. As a member of the French Olympic team she also won a silver medal at the Athens games. Because of her consistently fine performances she held the WTA number one ranking for five weeks during September and October.

For some time Mauresmo had the distinction of being one of the very few players to be top-ranked without a Grand Slam victory. In an interview with the French sports magazine L'Équipe she stated that becoming number one gave her an even greater desire to work hard and go farther.

Mauresmo's first Grand Slam victory came in the 2006 Australian Open. Afterward, she said that she would at last get to savor a bottle of 1937 Château d'Yquem that she had bought seven years earlier and was saving for the celebration of her first championship in a Grand Slam event.

Mauresmo entered the 2006 Wimbledon competition ranked number one in the world and as the top seed, but doubters did not expect her to actually win the championship. However, she played impressively, losing only one set on her way to the final against Justine Henin-Hardenne. After a slow start there, Mauresmo regrouped to take control of the match and come from behind to win the championship.

Mauresmo retired from professional tennis in December 2009. The French tennis community subsequently honored her with a special tribute during the GDF Suez (formerly Gaz de France) Open tournament in February 2010. After the showing of a video retrospective of the highlights of her career, Mauresmo was joined by her mother, former and current members of the women's tennis tour, and other celebrities for an emotional valedictory.

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